IMMOKALEE, Fla. — The sounds of learning fill the halls at Pathways Early Education Center in Immokalee, but for support teacher Lotti Rodriguez, they carry special meaning. She learned these same rhythms and songs as a student at the center 20 years ago.
"This place is magical," Rodriguez said. "It's magical because there's no way I'm remembering this rhythm is beat at the same time that it's playing right now... crazy, how you know things are taught here, and how things stick with you here."
Click here to see Immokalee Community Correspondent Victoria Quevedo speak with teacher Lotti
The lessons stuck with Rodriguez so much that she wanted to return as an educator. Now, by next school year, the center is planning a major expansion to serve more families in the community.
Pathways currently serves 125 students from 4 weeks old to 5 years old. But with 300 families on the waiting list, the need for expansion is clear.
Center Director Michelle Blackmon says the expansion will add 40 percent more students to meet growing demand.
"It's a need for our children in Immokalee," Blackmon said. "Seeing children that are playing outside or walking down the walkway with their parents, it's basically telling us we need to expand."
The growth comes as Pathways continues to break cycles and create opportunities in the community. Rodriguez recently earned her Child Development Associate certification with the center's support — a support system she now shares with others every day.
"It is life changing," Rodriguez said. "We treat everybody with the love and kindness that we would want to get ourselves and everybody."
The expansion represents more than just additional classroom space. It's a testament to the center's impact on families and its commitment to nurturing the next generation of Immokalee residents.
